| Cholistan Wildlife Sanctuary | |
| Location: | Cholistan Desert, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Nearest City: | Bahawalpur |
| Coordinates: | 28.94°N 72.132°W |
| Area: | 26000km2 |
Cholistan Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Punjab, Pakistan.[1] It comprises 2.6 million hectares.
This desert can be classified into two geomorphic zones based on its topography, the territory of the northern section, known as Lesser Cholistan, is around 7,770 km2, bordering canal-irrigated areas, while the area of the southern region, known as Greater Cholistan, is 18,130 km2. Low sandy ridges alternate with salty alluvial flats, known locally as dahars, to form the smaller Cholistan. Saline or saline-sodic soils are the two categories into which these soils fall, with pH values varying from 8.2 to 8.4 and from 8.8 to 9.6, respectively. The Greater Cholistan consists of river terraces, sizable sand dunes, and depressions. It is a wind-sorted sandy desert. The dunes are approximately 100 metres tall on average.[2]
The region experiences a wide range of temperatures, with summers potentially reaching over 50°C. The temperature difference between day and night is significant. The region experiences sporadic, erratic, and sparse rainfall, often between 100 and 250 mm, primarily during the monsoon season.[2]
List of fauna found in the sanctuary.[3]
| Name | Scientific name | Picture | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caracal caracal | |||
| 2 | Felis chaus | |||
| 3 | Urva edwardsii | |||
| 4 | Felis lybica ornata | |||
| 5 | Canis aureus indicus | |||
| 6 | Vulpes bengalensis | |||
| 7 | Hemiechinus auritus | |||
| 8 | Gazella bennettii | |||
| 9 | Boselaphus tragocamelus | |||
| 10 | Mellivora capensis indica | |||
| 11 | Hystrix indica | |||
| 12 | Lepus nigricollis | |||
| 13 | Canis lupus arabs | |||
| 14 | Sus scrofa cristatus | |||
| 15 | Vulpes vulpes pusilla | |||
| 16 | Urva auropunctata | |||
| 17 | Viverricula indica |
| Name | Scientific name | Picture | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ortygornis pondicerianus | |||
| 2 | Ammomanes deserti | |||
| 3 | Sturnus vulgaris | |||
| 4 | Chlamydotis undulata | |||
| 5 | Ardeotis nigriceps | |||
| 6 | Pterocles orientalis | |||
| 7 | Lanius excubitor | |||
| 8 | Athene brama | |||
| 9 | Falco jugger | |||
| 10 | Falco cherrug | |||
| 11 | Buteo buteo | |||
| 12 | Accipiter nisus | |||
| 13 | Aquila rapax | |||
| 14 | Circus macrourus | |||
| 15 | Streptopelia decaocto | |||
| 16 | Aegypius monachus |
| Name | Scientific name | Picture | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duttaphrynus stomaticus | |||
| 2 | Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis | |||
| 3 | Hoplobatrachus tigerinus | |||
| 4 | Sphaerotheca breviceps | |||
| 5 | Geoclemys hamiltonii | |||
| 6 | Pangshura smithii | |||
| 7 | Pangshura tecta | |||
| 8 | Lissemys punctata | |||
| 9 | Nilssonia gangetica | |||
| 10 | Calotes versicolor | |||
| 11 | Trapelus agilis pakistanensis | – | ||
| 12 | Trapelus megalonyx | – | ||
| 13 | Uromastyx hardwickii | |||
| 14 | Crossobamon orientalis | – | ||
| 15 | Cyrtopodion scaber | |||
| 16 | Hemidactylus flaviviridis | |||
| 17 | Hemidactylus leschenaultii | |||
| 18 | Acanthodactylus cantoris | |||
| 19 | Eremias cholistanica | – | ||
| 20 | Mesalina watsonana | |||
| 21 | Eumeces indothalensis | – | ||
| 22 | Eurylepis taeniolata |
| Name | Scientific name | Picture | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Eutropis trivittata | – | ||
| 24 | Eutropis macularia | |||
| 25 | Ophiomorus tridactylus | – | ||
| 26 | Varanus bengalensis | |||
| 27 | Varanus griseus koniecznyi | – | ||
| 28 | Myriopholis blanfordi | – | ||
| 29 | Myriopholis macrorhyncha | |||
| 30 | Indotyphlops porrectus | – | ||
| 31 | Eryx johnii | |||
| 32 | Boiga trigonata | |||
| 33 | Platyceps rhodorachis | |||
| 34 | Platyceps ventromaculatus | |||
| 35 | Eirenis punctatolineatus | |||
| 36 | Lytorhynchus paradoxus | – | ||
| 37 | Psammophis leithii | – | ||
| 38 | Psammophis lineolatus | |||
| 39 | Spalerosophis arenarius | – | ||
| 40 | Spalerosophis atriceps | |||
| 41 | Xenochrophis piscator | |||
| 42 | Naja naja | |||
| 43 | Bungarus sindanus | |||
| 44 | Echis carinatus sochureki |